Biodun Esan, Ilorin
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara State Chapter on Monday flaunted what it called the “remarkable achievements” of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the last five years.
APC chairman in the state, Prince Sunday Fagbemi while speaking at the media engagement on the fifth anniversary of AbdulRazaq-led administration said APC is proud of the Governor’s investments in critical sectors of the economy.
The party also commended the Governor for his good and peaceful politics, respect and support for traditional and religious institutions, and for helping to stem the tide of political violence in the state.
“We are proud to say the new mandate given to our party across the lines is being justified, as it is evident in the avalanche of superlative programmes and projects dotting every corner of Kwara today.
“We are delighted that his dream for urban renewal and economic expansion is now being seen in the Tanke and Unity flyovers, Wahab Folawiyo Road, Ahmadu Bello Way, and Ilorin Innovation Hub.
“It is also glaring in the Garment Factory, Shea butter factory, industrial park, agro-processing and other agricultural programmes to support food security, International Conference Centre, Visual Arts Centre, and Sugar Film Factory.
“So also is the transformative education projects and programmes, numerous completed and ongoing urban and rural road projects spanning thousands of kilometres across the state, among others as our deserved reality,” Fagbemi said.
Fagbemi noted that history will remember Gov AbdulRazaq as a transformational leader who rose above personal and partisan interests to make bold decisions and push through a progressive agenda for the growth and development of the state.
“In decades to come, Kwarans will remember Gov AbdulRazaq as a leader who restored the glory of the past, gave workers their due at the right time, catered for the weak and vulnerable segments of the society, empowered women and the youths, worked to keep the gains of today and prepared for the future.
“You may recall the launching of the Ilorin City Master Plan two years ago. The groundbreaking of the 25,000-hectare Ilorin Smart City is near, promising a new chapter in the history of the state.
“It is a fulfilment of the promise of our party for sustainable development and reducing housing deficits by providing a platform for public and private sector collaboration for a mix of affordable and luxury housing schemes for the citizens,” he said.
The APC chairman also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continued support and collaboration with the Kwara State Government to ensure that the administration delivers on its promises of improved quality of life, inclusive growth, and sustainable development to the people.
“Owing to the efforts of our working Governor, Kwara has also recorded massive infrastructural gains from the APC-led federal government.
“The state has since got approval for the construction of four major roads under the Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme.
“The roads include Kosubosu–Kaiama–Bode Saadu (128km); Bacita-Shonga-Lafiagi (74.3km); Eiyenkorin–Afon–Offa–Odo Otin (42.5km); and Okuta–Bokuro (37km).
“Similarly, the Kishi Kaiama Tese Road has recently been approved for construction by the Federal Executive Council.
“We are also proud of all our elected and appointed representatives at all levels for their efforts to bring democratic dividends to our people.
“We thank them for working with our hard-working Governor who is the leader of our team. We urge them to keep it up and to do a lot more to complement what the Governor is doing,” the chairman said.
Fagbemi also appreciated members and leaders of the party across every community in Kwara State, particularly members of the State Working Committee for the wonderful job that they do and their support for the state government under the leadership of the Governor and for the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He added: “In the last elections, Kwarans resolved to reward the remarkable performance of the Governor with a new mandate to ensure the continuity of inclusive governance and sustainable development for the people and state as was witnessed in the first four years.
“Our party also won the presidential election, including the 3 senatorial seats, six House of Representatives, and all the 24 seats in the State Assembly.
“Our party has won 100 per cent in our elections not because we are perfect. We won all our elections because we are pro-masses; we develop every part of the state.
“We are responsive to the yearnings of the people, and we empathize with the people within the resources available to the state.
“Even at that, our party has been conscious of the need to create a balance between creating economic opportunities for the people and allowing activities and unregulated growth that may jeopardize urban planning and development and ultimately hurt the people in different ways, including security breaches.
“We are proud to say the new mandate given to our party across the lines is being justified, as it is evident in the avalanche of superlative programmes and projects dotting every corner of Kwara today.
“Kwara’s basic education has continued its rise from the ashes to the zenith of excellence.
“Aided by our flagship educational policy KwaraLEARN, our schoolchildren have won national laurels and represented Nigeria at a global competition for the second time running.
“It underscores the significant progress we are recording in the basic education sector in our state.
“In the last year, AbdulRazaq laid a solid foundation to make Kwara a major medical hub in Nigeria. First, he facilitated the construction of the first cancer treatment centre in the whole of North Central Nigeria funded by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Foundation and then got the federal government to approve a comprehensive upgrade of the Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre.
“Similarly, the groundwork for the establishment of the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) has commenced as a Bill for the establishment is now ready for public hearing at the House.
“Upon completion, the teaching hospital will support the training of medical students and related professionals, boost manpower, and extend the frontier of healthcare delivery to save the lives of women, children, and elderly in Kwara and surrounding states.
“In the whole of North Central, our state has the gold medal in access to basic health care while the government continues to invest to keep our professionals and provide more equipment to beat the current standard.
“Under the AbdulRazaq-led administration rural-urban development drive, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and interlocking of 71 new road projects were recently approved across the state.
“Earlier, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and interlocking of 75 road projects were completed in the last year.”
On the sports sector, Fagbemi said the Governor has taken commendable steps to preserve the legacies of founding fathers and mothers across different sectors as Kwara State Stadium Complex Ilorin is undergoing a facelift to elevate its status and aesthetics under the AbdulRazaq-led administration.
“The construction of a world-class table tennis arena is ongoing as well as renovation of the Indoor Sports Hall to aid the grooming of young talents and ensure our state remains on the map as home of champions in sports.
“This is the first time that the indoor sports hall has been done in this manner since 1991.
“To improve access to clean and safe water, the Governor recently constructed a new waterworks at Jebba, ending decades of lack in the kingdom.
“Rehabilitation works have also been completed on several waterworks across the state in the last year,” Fagbemi said.
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